Sunday, August 22, 2004

Megaforjeray?

"The Vatican has instructed parishes and dioceses not to organise pilgrimages to the Marian shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia. The latest edition of AAS said that because the local bishops have said 'it is not possible to affirm' that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared there, parishes or dioceses should not organise pilgrimages to the site."

Is this true?

The local bishops have apparently said a lot more than that. Repeatedly.

On October 2, 1997, writing to Thierry Boutet, the editor of Famille Chrétienne, Most Rev. Peric, Bishop of Mostar states,

Prot.: 1267/97
"I am answering your letter of September 29, 1997 received by fax from the Nunciature of Sarajevo."
"4. On the basis of the serious study of the case by 30 of our 'studiosi', on my episcopal experience of five years in the Diocese, on the scandalous disobedience that surrounds the phenomenon, on the lies that are at times put into the mouth of the 'Madonna', on the unusual repetition of 'messages' of over 16 years, on the strange way that the 'spiritual directors' of the so-called 'visionaries' accompany them through the world making propaganda of them, on the practice that the 'Madonna' appears at the 'fiat' of the 'visionaries', my conviction and position is not only non constat de supernaturalitate [the supernaturality is not proven] but also the other formula constat de non supernaturalitate [ the non-supernaturality is proven] of the apparitions or revelations of Medjugorje.
(catholicdoors.com)